Page 59 - English Tehelka Issue 12 - June 30, 2018

WOMEN SAFETY
Book review

he recent case of a Post Nirbhaya: Girls amend the criminal laws to
minor girl studying enable capital punishment A poetic reBel
kidnapped, gang- coNtiNue to be violated for those who rape minors
in class X who was
below 12 years of age. While
T raped and then by sexual Predators some say stricter punishment Ghalib’s life was not just of a poet but that of a rebel.
poisoned by three people in is needed as the law needs
Haryana’s Fatehabad district, to be strengthened, others The poet is known as much for his eccentric personality
shows the diabolic mindset Post Nirbhaya, everyone expected an attitudinal see it as a knee-jerk reaction as he is for his poetry. Author Hasan Abdullah in his book
of violators. The incident took to the recent Unnao ‘The Evolution of Ghalib’, delves deep into the life of the
place on June 5 and the girl shift in public perception and more so in the psyche and Kathua rape incidents,
later died during treatment. of sexual predators. But unfortunately, offenders and say capital punishment poetic genius, observes Humra QuraisHi
The dastardly incident came continue with their sinister designs with impunity, in the name of child protec-
on the heels of assault on a tion is not justified. Women’s he very title of this vol- This brings me to write that
13-year-old minor by a group without any fear of law, writes Sarrah rights activist and advocate ume- The Evolution of though this book does stand out, as
of four men near a temple Flavia Agnes said, “I am Ghalib, carries the crux. a researcher’s bounty, but, heavy
in Haryana’s Yamunanagar venture out at night. Is death of Children from Sexual Of- extremely angry. This is very True, we, the Ghalib doses of prose do came in way of
recently. penalty an answer? Can a fences Act, 2012. She has advo- disturbing. The government lovers can recite his the poetic verse of Ghalib. The mix
The incident occurred Presidential reference stop cated death as the maximum is on the back foot as they T verse or rattle details of and match do not tilt towards a
when girl’s parents were this type of crime? Are volun- punishment for the rape of had not reacted to whatever his life and times, but, would be un- free-flowing, relaxed read, especially
away and the minor was tary organisations doing their those below 12. In the past, sure how this poetic genius evolved. for those ardent lovers of Ghalib’s
sleeping in her house with jobs efficiently? Where have there was some change in the Author Hasan Abdullah has focused verse who do not have the patience
her siblings. Four men barged all women’s bodies gone? legislative. That was in 2013 There is still a exactly on this in this volume. to let any of the factual details to his
into her house, kidnapped her Surely an efficient and smart in the aftermath of a ghastly Quite obviously this former IITian turbulent life and the more than The evoluTion
and took the girl to an area policing system is a prereq- crime- the gang rape and question mark is an intense Ghalib lover to delve turbulent times he’d lived in, come of Ghalib
near a temple and raped her. uisite but what is needed murder of a woman in Delhi whether the deep into different and varying in the way. by: Hasan abdullaH
Publisher - Rupa
The men then smashed the alongside is a transformation in December 2012. The Crimi- phases and stages of Ghalib’s poetic And, though every single stage of 368 pp; 995
girl’s head against the temple in mindsets. There is need nal Law (Amendment) Act, death penalty journey so as to put across the story. Ghalib’s life carried his poetic genius,
in a bid to kill her and destroy to understand the mindset 2013, set the death penalty for be a deterrent To quote him from the preface, but,the stark traits to his personal-
evidence. An FIR under the of the rapist-murderers of rape in the event of it causing “Around a decade ago, when I, along ity stood out right from the very
Protection of Children from minors. the victim’s death. against any sort with a friend, scanned all the avail- start. Known for his wit and subtle
Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act We keep hearing of big There is still a question of crime able books on Ghalib in English, we humour and defiance, one could
has been filed. Sadly Harya- talks on the political front. mark whether the death were surprised that despite the vast quite easily call him a rebel poet as brings tears to my eyes/ Whose
na’s track record in the treat- Union Minister for Women penalty be a deterrent against amount of literature on his poetry, he defied norms, lived life accord- home will its afflictions visit after I
ment of its women and girls and Child Development any sort of crime. Lawyers the aspect of time was missing. Even ing to his own terms. Honest, daring breathe my last?’
has never been perfect and Maneka Gandhi who has been and child rights activists are in Urdu, the solitary exception was and baring, he remained unchanged Leaving the readers with more
the spate of recent incidents championing the cause of divided over the ordinance to happened. But, death penalty the chronological compilation of right till his twilight years. To quote of Ghalib’s verse, as in these harsh
confirms this. women rightly announced is not the answer; when Ghalib’s complete Urdu poetry by from this book —“in this last phase, times all that is needed is someone
Has the President’s ap- that her ministry will seek an • Safety at stake: Cases like will people understand Kalidas Gupta Reza. However, people Ghalib, the Dwindling Star, realises out there nudging us to grasp the
proval of the Ordinance amendment to the Protection Nirbhaya continued to rise this?” ignored it and continued to read that he is almost exhausted, physi- reality, to observe the unmasked.
prescrib ing death penalty Though the states like the popular Diwan-e Ghalib, the cally and mentally, but his determi- Remarkable it is that even after all
for rapists of girls below 12 Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, selection of Ghalib’s poetry arranged nation remains unchanged. He says these decades Ghalib’s verse holds
years of age proved to be a Rajasthan and Madhya according to rhyme and no littera- very little and has practically noth- each one of us!
deterrent or awe-inspiring? Pradesh have suggested teur ever tried to take advantage of ing new to add in this last decade… ‘The affairs of nightingale make
It seems it has not been able amending the law to pre- this gold mine to have a peep into he remains committed to his views; flowers go on chuckling/
to instill any fear because the scribe the death penalty for the evolution of Ghalib — as an intel- and the nearness of death does not That what people perceive as love is
nation is still confronted with the rape of a minor below the lectual or even as a poet. I felt that a change or revise them, including but quirks of mind.’
a Kathua, Unnao or a Surat age of 12, a clear dichotomy chronological study of Ghalib’s Urdu those on post-death life.” ‘From bonds of love I freed myself a
practically every day. of views on the desirability of ghazals would help in the better There is also certain continuity hundred times/
Ironically, instead of put- prescribing a death penalty appreciation of his poetry and shed in his verse after verse on love; that But I am helpless, my heart itself is
ting a full stop to the sexual remains. It is time the govern- some light on what are, or appear quest for that longing and for that foe of freedom,’
assaults against the hapless ment at the centre and states to be radically divergent views. The fulfilment. And, also those sorrow- ‘Now it is me and my craving for
girls, these have increased discuss and debate this issue result of my research is this book laden pangs that love inevitably gloom and melancholy, Ghaib/
manifold. It is a shame on threadbare before to end this wherein I have interpreted selected drags along. All possible emotions Feeling warm greeting of worldly
the civilised society and menace. couplets that are chronologically relayed so very subtly and gently. people heart got burnt to ashes.’
makes girls live in fear. In arranged, thereby revealing Ghalib’s To quote his verse from this volume
some states, girls can’t dare to letters@tehelka.com evolution of thought.” — ‘That love is so vulnerable Ghalib letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 30 june 2018 59 www.Tehelka.com

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